Spreading device for tubular materials



Jan. 28,1964 6. FLEISSNER SPREADING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR MATERIALS Filed Nov. 28, 1960 'FIG.3

United States Patent Qfifice 3,119,168 ?atented Jan. 28, 1934 3,119,168 SPREADHNG DEVICE F012 TUBULAR MATERlALS Gerald Fleissner, Egelsbach, near Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignor to Fieissner G.m.b.H., Egelshach,

Germany, a firm of Germany Fiied Nov. 28, M60, Ser. No. 71,973 Claims priority, application Germany Dec. 1, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 26-55) This invention relates in general to an apparatus for treating textile materials and in particular to a new and useful apparatus for conditioning new hosiery goods for the purposes of maintaining a uniform width thereof.

The present invention is an improvement over previous devices of this character and includes novel adjustable means for establishing and maintaining the width of tubular lengths of textile material such as tricot hosiery, jersey and the like. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention an adjustable width maintaining device is positioned in the path of feed of a continuous length of hosiery so that the material is fed over the width maintaining means and between a pair of cooperating pressure rollers. In a preferred arrangement of the invention the width maintaining means is a separate member which may be positioned in alignment with the cooperating pressure rollers or removed from the feed line for adjustment or other purposes as desired.

A feature of the invention is the provision of a width maintaining member which is formed of two-armed portions, either fixedly joined together or flexibly connected at a pivot point at one end and which extend outwardly in diverging directions and carry one or more rollers at the opposite end for cooperative engagement with the respective pressure rollers. The construction includes means for adjusting the amount of divergence of the armed portions in order to vary the dimensions of the width of the hose which is to be maintained. Such adjustment may be simply and easily made by drawing together telescopic portions of the roller members or by use of a separate similarly telescopic adjustment member connected to the armed portions intermediate their lengths.

In one embodiment of the invention, the armed portions include endless belt members which may be freely movable so that the hosiery material rides thereover with a minimum amount of friction and in some instances the belts are positively driven in order to aid the movement of the hose over the width maintaining device.

The device is easily adaptable for horizontal or vertical feeds and in each instance it is preferable to employ cooperating guide rollers arranged adjacent the armed portions of the width maintaining device in order to aid in the feeding of the hosiery material thereover and through the pressure rollers. The rollers also serve a function for maintaining the width maintaining device in alignment with the pressure rollers for proper feed of the hosiery therethrough.

In another embodiment of the invention there is provided a width maintaining device in which the armed portions are formed of a single yoke-shaped member with a central portion of elastic or spring-like material. A preferred arrangement of this embodiment includes an inwardly extending portion defined on each arm with roller members positioned at each end of this portion arranged to guide the material over the width maintaining device in contact solely with the central yoke portion and the spaced rollers of the width maintaining device. In the embodiment in which a yoke portion of elastic or springlilte material is employed, it is possible to obtain minor adjustment in the divergence of the armed portions by lengthening or shortening the effective roller width at the connection to the outer ends of the armed portions of the device.

In accordance with the invention it is preferable to feed the hosiery material with the material turned inside out and in some instances it is advantageous to employ the width maintaining device in combination with an untwisting device of conical configuration and greater width at a location immediately before the feed of the material onto the width maintaining device and before the material is advanced between the pressure rollers.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved width maintaining device for use in the fabrication of hosiery.

A further object of the invention is to provide a width maintaining device adapted to be disposed in the interior of hosiery material just prior to the feeding of the material between cooperating pressure rollers.

-A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable width maintaining device for textile material hose.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for guiding the walls of hosiery material outwardly to a predetermined width and thence to pressure roller means for maintaining the width at the predetermined amount.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device for maintaining hosiery width which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages 'and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a hoisery width maintaining device constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus indicated in FIG. 1; 1

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a hosiery material width maintaining device; and

FIG. 4 indicates an arrangement of an improved hosiery material width maintaining device including an untwisting device, with the material being fed first over the untwisting device and then over the width maintaining device.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention as embodied therein includes a width maintaining. device generally designated 20 which is arranged to cooperate with a pair of cooperating pressure rollers 5.

In accordance with the invention the hosiery width maintaining device 20 includes a curved yoke or stirrup including armed members generally designated 1 which are pivotally connected at one end and which include gradually diverging outer ends having bearings rotatably supporting roller members generally designated 2.. The roller members 2 advantageously include separable sections 2a and 2b which are joined by a threaded spindle 12 having a left and right hand thread at opposite ends to permit drawing together of the outer ends of the portions 2a and 211 or widening of these ends as desired.

The stirrups 1 are gradually curved outwardly and include widened areas adjacent bearing supports for the rollers 2 which converge to a rounded tip or nose 8. The stirrups are joined intermediate their lengths by a transverse member or connection generally designated 6 which advantageously includes separable portions 6a and 6b and a central spindle member 6c having left and right hand threaded portions at opposite ends and which may be rotated to separate the stirrups 1 or to move them closer together. In the arrangement described both the transverse connection 6 and the roller member 2 must be adjusted together in order to change the amount of diversion of the stirrups 1 in accordance with the width of the hosiery which is to be maintained.

In accordance with a preferred arrangement of the invention, the stirrup members 1 include endless conveyor belts 11 trained to run over an inner closely spaced set of rollers 22, 22 and an outer widely spaced set of rollers 24, 24. When the endless belts are employed rollers 22 and 24 may be mounted for free rotation so that the material may be moved onto the conveyor and the conveyor advanced as the material is drawn between the pressure rollers 5. In some instances it is advantageous to employ a motor (not shown) for rotating one or both of the rollers 24 in order to advance the belts 11 and aid in the transportation of the hosiery through the width maintaining apparatus.

In the embodiment indicated in FIG. 3, there is provided a width maintaining device 24 which includes a single member having diverging arm portions 26 and 28 with a central portion 18 made of elastic or spring-like material to permit changes in the amount of divergence of the arm portions 26 and 28. The outer ends of the arm portions 26 and 28 carry bearings fora roller member or adjustable width transverse member generally designated 30. The roller member 30 is arranged similarly to the rollers 2 of FIG. 2 and the device includes a portion (not shown) similar to the nose of FIG. 2. In this embodiment the arm portions 26 and 28 each includes an inwardly curved middle section 10, 10. A closely spaced set of rollers 16, 16 are mounted on corresponding arms 26 and 28 and a widely spaced set of rollers 14, 14 are mounted near the outer ends thereof. Hosiery material 32 which is directed to the device contact the rounded exterior of the central portion 18 and then the rollers 16 and 14 prior to being directed between pressure rollers 5. The rollers 16 and 14 thus permit free frictionless movement of the material that is drawn through the pressure rollers over the width maintaining device.

The apparatus may be employed in a horizontal position such as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2 in which case a pair of laterally adjustable spaced rollers 13 are positioned alongside the member in order to maintain it in the correct feed line. Rollers such as the roller 17 may be employed for the purposes of aiding the feed of the material on the top and bottom sides of the device and in such case these rollers are advantageously driven by a motor (not shown). Should the device be employed in an upright or vertical position suitable guide rollers are provided to center the device for proper feeding of material to the pressure rollers.

In FIG. 4 there is indicated hosiery material which is first directed over an untwisting device 9 and thence over the width maintaining device 20. In order to make possible a better dekinking or untwisting of the material, the device 9 may include a ball or the like and be of a dimension somewhat greater than the width maintaining means. Instead of a ball, a cortical piece may be provided which is disposed inside the hose material 15 and through its own weight, that is by gravity, acts to remove any twisting or kinking of the material. The width maintaining device 20 is preferably arranged vertically and it advantageously includes means 34 connecting it to the untwisting device 9, which is advantageously flexible enough so that the weighted member 9 may independently and automatically roll toward the left or the right in accordance with the twisting of the material. In the arrangement indicated in FIG. 4 it is advantageous to employ guide rollers 36 and 38 to insure that the untwisting device 9 does not move completely out of alignment.

Thus the invention provides a simple and adjustable means for positioning hose material which is fed between pressure rollers to insure that the proper width of the hose material is maintained.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

A device for maintaining the size of hosiery material which is to be fed between the nip of cooperating pressure rollers, comprising a pair of guide members pivotally connected together at one end thereof and having opposite ends diverging outwardly, a transverse adjustment member pivotally connected between said guide members intermediate their length and having a threadable adjustable portion for varying the overall length of said adjustment member and hence the amount of divergence of said guide members, said guide members having sections adjacent their outer ends which are widened in a direction tarnsverse of the longitudinal axis of said guide members and having a roller at each extremity of said widened sections which are adapted to bear against the respective pressure rollers, said guide member sections converging in a direction outwardly from said rollers to a central point between said rollers which point is adapted to be oriented between the pressure rollers, an endless belt carried on each of said guide members in a position to extend outwardly on each side thereof for facilitating the movement of material thereover, and roller means supporting said endless belt on respective guide members for movement lengthwise thereof. 1

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